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Dropping Into Turns

Riders often struggle with sections of trail where a drop lands directly into a turn. In reality it’s actually possible to make a stronger turn because of the drop. The landing creates compressive force which can be used to make a more powerful turn.

To start off with, get comfortable with drops without turns directly following them. Be sure your technique is correct and that you have a nice consistent outcome. Riders should do the same with their turns – making sure that they have proper footwork for turning in both directions.

Once you are comfortable with both these skill independently they can then be combined. The goal is to create footwork during the compressive phase of the landing before the suspension rebounds. As you are landing from the drop, immediately start to create rotation into your outside foot. On one side, this will be front foot pressure and on the other side, this will be back foot pressure. I lead left foot forward, so a left turn is a back foot turn and a right turn is a front foot turn for me. For a right foot forward rider, a left turn will be a front foot turn, and a right turn will be a back foot turn. We are essentially taking the shortest path to outside foot pressure from a neutral position with level pedals.

Practice this until you can consistently rotate into the correct foot during the compressive phase of the landing. The energy of landing will give you increased pressure into your outside leg and allow you to rip turns following drops.